Our Newest INDEVOURS

In order to raise funds and awareness about our field placements, my cohort of International Development students formed a group called INDEVOURS. This group was formed as part of a marketing class assignment, but has grown to be an integral and fun part of our summer student life.

In this post, I want to share a little bit about INDEVOURS, and encourage you and people you know to donate and support us.

INDEVOURS is a group of 26 fourth-year students in the International Development program at the University of Waterloo. We represent a wide variety of backgrounds and interests, but we all have one thing in common: the desire to make a difference in the world.

The name ‘INDEVOURS’ has two meanings. Our program of study, International Development, is affectionately called INDEV. Since we are the first ever cohort of this program, we feel a strong sense of ownership over our education, thus INDEVOURS. In addition, our internships are a brand-new initiative and exciting adventure – an endeavour. We have therefore labelled ourselves as INDEVOURS. INDEVOURS has a blog where you can learn more; you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

In the next four months leading up to our departure, as a group, we have to collectively prepare for the challenges of living and working overseas for eight months. In order to mitigate some of the high financial costs of volunteering in a foreign country for an extended period of time, our goal is to raise $30,000 to be split evenly among the 26 placements.

Along with contending with our internship responsibilities, we are enrolled as full-time students at the University of Waterloo. This means, on top of day-to-day living costs and placement fees, we are still paying for tuition as well.

Between the 26 of us, the costs do vary, but reaching our $30,000 goal will mean that for each of us 1/10th of our cost will be covered. If you are interested in donating to INDEVOURS, you can do so online by following this link to the St. Paul’s website.

You can also contact us by phone at 519.772.8700 x 4036.

We are not just looking for donations – we  are trying to raise awareness and support for our program. So, please feel free to learn more by contacting INDEVOURS or me.

June Update

As of today, there are 79 days until I leave for my field internship. Time flies so quickly! Here’s a very quick update on what’s going on with my placement details:

•  I have received my plane ticket and am flying out on September 8, 2011 from Toronto to London, followed by a full day layover, then a flight to Accra. It’s a round-trip ticket, and I shall be returning the same way on April 21, 2012.
•  I have an appointment with a travel clinic to get all the necessary vaccinations: yellow fever, meningitis, typhoid, and boosters. In addition, I must learn about and choose malaria prevention methods, which will not be easy: some malaria prevention medications can cause depression, anxiety, mood swings, nightmares, hallucinations, and psychosis. Very pleasant!
• I need to extend my OHIP coverage and UW travel and health insurance.
• I need to set up a new bank account that will be accessible from my placement.
• I must apply for my travel visa (only once I get my yellow fever vaccine though).
• We have established a student group called INDEVOURS to fundraise for our placements. Please learn more about us and donate at the INDEVOURS blog or at our website here.

I think a lot of my nervousness will disappear after I talk to the travel clinic  about malaria, yellow fever, typhoid fever, dengue fever, and any other illness to which I may be susceptible. Illness could so easily ruin the experience that it is my biggest concern. Plus, I hate needles.

The 'Global South' and Other Contested Terms

As with any field of study, international development is constantly evolving. The academic literature surrounding international development evolves too. As a result, academics and development practitioners alike must be ever vigilant to stay on top of what vocabulary is the most up-to-date, accurate, and, most importantly, politically correct.

One of the most important and difficult to label concepts in international development is the category of countries/regions/areas that experience high levels of poverty/social issues/poor quality of life/etc. Even describing the category is challenging!

Post World War II, this category was classified as the “third world”. Capitalist countries were the first world, communist countries were the second, and everyone else was the third world. This term was dropped after the fall of the Soviet Union since the categories were no longer accurate. Also, the ranking of first to third was considered offensive.

Next came the distinction of industrialized versus industrializing countries, associated with modernity theory. These terms were all well and good, until academics began to realize that becoming “industrial” may not be the ideal thing for all nations. Modernity theory was also tossed out the proverbial window.

Next came developed and developing countries. These terms are still used today. However, some academics pointed out that these terms are patronizing: they insinuate that “we” are what “they” should become. Considering our problems with mass consumption and pollution, this is not particularly accurate.

Another, theoretically less dictatorial, set of terms is Global North and Global South. This based on the Brandt Line, a visual depiction of the North-South divide. Basically, North means wealthy and privileged, while South means impoverished and vulnerable. Considering the obvious flaws with this geographical divide (ahem, Australia!), this term, though still current, is also contested.

Really, it is exhausting for a mere student to keep straight.

I have most commonly used the developed versus developing terminology or Global North versus Global South, sprinkled in with some “emerging economies” and “impoverished nations” for good measure. However, my favourite textbook this summer, Geographies of Developing Areas by Williams, Meth, and Willis, pointed out the quandary about using the terms Global North and Global South. And it got me thinking…

Just how important is terminology? If I say developing countries and you say Global South, does it matter as long as we all know what we are talking about? How does public perception factor in?

I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter!

Thinking About Gender

On June 8, 2011, my INDEV 474 (Special Topics in International Development) had the privilege of having Sharada Srinivasan as a guest speaker. Sharada is the Assistant Professor of International Development Studies at York University and has a Ph.D. in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands.

Sharada led a whirlwind discussion on gender relations, hegemonic masculinity, and male bias. I wish I could summarize it here, but I was so interested in the lecture that my notes are a mess! The class made me wish that there was a stronger gender relations component to UW’s International Development program, or at least that I had selected some Gender Studies classes as my electives.

The discussion did an excellent job highlighting how gender issues are all pervasive and must be understood no matter what field you are working in. It definitely left me with a great deal of food for thought. I look forward to exploring how gender relates to my field placement in environmental conservation and reforestation projects. In the meantime, if you ever have the opportunity to hear Sharada Srinivasan speak, do yourself a favour and attend!